


home coming

by smallbeans



Series: dysfunctional families [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Child Boyd, Child Erica, Child Isaac Lahey, Child Jackson, Child Scott McCall, Child Stiles, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, POV Derek, Pack Family, Pack Feels, Single Parent Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:44:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9650171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallbeans/pseuds/smallbeans
Summary: Derek trusts his wolf to help him find his sixth and final child to adopt out of the godforsaken care homes in Beacon Hills. Question is, does he make the right decision?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been desperate for a daddy-derek & child-pack fic for a long time and I kind of came to the realisation that the best way to get a story is to write it yourself, hence, the beginning of this beautiful series!

Kids ran around his feet, laughter and happy screams rang out as the children played. Derek smiled at all the precious children who are unfortunate enough to be in foster care homes at such a young age.

"Any preferences on what you're looking for in the child, Mr Hale?" The petite women with the thick rimmed glasses and white blonde hair that was tied back in a neat, tight bun on the ball of her head asked as they walked into the gardens of the very pleasant care home.

Derek shook his head. "No. I'll know the child when I see them,"

Derek didn't have a 'preference', as the woman had put it. Derek didn't want to feel like he was picking out a puppy and wanted the one with the most spots or the biggest ears. No, this was a child, which meant Derek couldn't base his choice on the child's looks, but more on the characteristics.

"Do you have any other children at home, Mr Hale?" The woman asked as a pair of children, who Derek assumed where most likely playing tag, ran past their feet and dashed down the path they had just walked down.

"Yes, three. All adopted," Derek wasn't lying, not entirely. He did have three children, but he also had another two. Boyd, Erica, Isaac, Scott and Stiles. And each precious individual one of them had stolen Derek's heart the moment he walked into the care homes and seen them. Thats what he was waiting for this time, a child to catch his eye and make his heart turn to goo in a way that made both him and his wolf happy.

"Just remember, Mr Hale, you don't have to choose today. A decision like this is not one you can go back on so therefore requires much time and thought,"

"I know. As I said, this isn't my first time adopting," Derek was proud of himself for not using his normal gruff voice that he uses on everyone apart from his children even though the recurring 'Mr Hale' is really starting to annoy him.

"Alright then. I'll leave you to look around," She sent him a smile before walking back the way they came.

Derek spent the next half an hour walking around the care home grounds. He was surrounded by the laughing, joyful children that somehow didn't suit their orphan or abandoned titles. But none of them stole his attention, none of them captivated him in such a way that he couldn't resist talking to them.

Derek was just thinking that this wasn't the place that had his sixth child and was beginning to turn back to the house when he saw a small boy trip, landing face first in the rough pebbled path. Except he didn't trip, he was pushed by another boy behind him, who stood taller and who's face was twisted into a grim expression - as if pushing the smaller boy didn't satisfy him in the way he wanted.

He walked over, Derek's first priority was to help the crying child up and checking over the side of his face that grounded against the sharp gravel. As soon as Derek had the boy on his feet, recognising the pungent smell of pain, blood and embarrassment, the boy let out a wail and ran off, probably seeking one of the carers.

Derek turned to the older boy, who still stood where he originally was, but now leaning against the stone water fountain that didn't have a single drop of water in it. Derek could sense the wolf inside the younger boy and his own wolf began flipping with eagerness.

"Why did you push that kid?" Derek asked.

The boy looked at him with a frown and Derek could see the disgust on his face. "Because I wanted to,"

A familiar feeling spawned inside Derek's chest. This boy was so much like him when he was younger - using his powered strength to push around the younger kids to fuel his every growing and unanswerable anger. Derek smiled, "Sometimes I want to push people around too. But you know, bullying isn't nice,"

The boy rolled his eyes like a stroppy teenager.

"I'm Derek," He held out a hand, wanting to see how the younger boy would react to the mature gesture.

The younger members eyes blinked from Derek's hand, to his face. His face was blank and unreadable, but Derek couldn't help feeling like the boy was mentally judging him in a way only a cruel child could. However, to his surprise, the boy returned the hand with a firm grip.

"Jackson," He said with a posture that showed pride. Derek couldn't think how such a proud and formal - and slightly cocking - young boy could have ended up in a care home.

When Derek asked, the boy looked at him stupidly, "how do you think? I'm like everybody except my parents aren't dead,"

"Not everyone here has...no parents," Derek said.

"No, but none of them have been dumped here by their 'foster family'. No one wants to adopt someone's leftovers,"

Derek could see the mask the small boy was wearing. He wanted to be strong, tough. He wants to bounce back, like a rubber band and to pretend the abandonment of his only family aren't hurting him raw. But Derek could see beneath the mask that could only hide so much. The boy was vulnerable, hurt and in need of caring. Derek could sense the wolf inside the boy, hot and hungry, bursting with promising energy.

"Do you know why your parents put you in here?"

Jackson glared, narrow eyed and furious. "They are not my parents," he growled. "And they put me in here because they can't handle me, I'm too much. I'm violent, rude and mean and a monster!"

"You're not a monster," Derek said in a soft tone because he can not let his small, innocent boy go on thinking that at such a young age, he is a monster. "And you're not alone, I'm like you too."

Derek flashed his eyes then, blazing the fiery red, bright and burning. Jacksons eyes widened but they weren't filled with fear, they were filled with curiousity and relief.

"You- you're- but-" Jackson stuttered. He drew in a breath, slightly shaky, and said, "you're like me."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement, as if he was saying it more to himself than to Derek.

He nodded, "yes. And you're not a monster. You're just different,"

"Different is bad,"

"Different is gifted,"

Jackson stared at him like he'd invented the sun. As if Derek's words had shook him to the core, the centre of his being, being told something he'd always imagined to be lies. Jackson wasn't a monster, he was different.

Derek continued to talk to Jackson, telling him about werewolves and his past. Derek had learned that opening up first, always gives the child a kind of reassurance that the parent isn't only interested in them and whatever they say is being analysed like a test. It gives the child a sense of conversation, casual and relaxed. Jackson didn't open up as much as his other children had. He didn't talk fast like Scott, he wasn't loud and random like Stiles, he wasn't sassy like Erica. He also didn't climb into his lap like Isaac had done the moment he flashed his eyes. Jackson reminded Derek of Boyd, reserved and collected although Jackson showed a more bottled-up kind of front. He was hurt, confused and pushing every feeling and transforming into a form of anger. His control needed work, but it was in-check enough that he wasn't attacking everything with a pulse. The full moon wasn't in weeks anyways, Derek didn't need to worry about it now.

In the end, after talking for half an hour, Derek felt his wolf make the decision for him.

"Jackson," Derek began, this was the moment of truth. "Would you like to come home with me?"

"What, like a field trip where youre going to take me home, decide you don't like me and dump me back here?"

"No," Derek said, "I meant would you like to come and live with me, me and my family."

Jackson looked at him for a long moment, as if he was talking to his wolf. Derek could see the clocks working behind the sea blue eyes that shone with so much haunt. "No thanks,"

Derek had to take a moment to realise what he said and then process the fact that Jackson didn't want to leave this hell hole. "Oh," Derek said, "is there a reason why?"

"I don't want to ruin your perfect family picture. I don't want to be the kid you orphaned, who doesn't fit in, who you treat differently because he's not actually yours. I don't want to be that again," Jackson spoke with much hurt, such familiarity that it made Derek wonder what his home life was like with his previous family and how someone could be so cruel but to reject a child in their own family just because his wasn't their own blood.

"None of my children are mine, Jackson," Derek said.

"What do you mean?"

"They're all adopted. I don't have any children of my own, so I adopt. It's just me, no partner, and my five children," Derek hoped he admittance would reassure Jackson that if he went home with Derek today, it would be nothing like his past.

Jackson looked conflicted. Derek could feel his heart hammering in his chest. His wolf was crying for this child, wanting, needing to take him home and care for him like the child deserves. The boys wolf is calling out to him and Derek knows this child belongs in a healthy, werewolf family.

Jackson was silent for a long time, staring at Derek. When he spoke, it was quiet and wavering, "do you really want me?"

"Of course, I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't,"

He was quiet again, the clocks in his mind working and turning, as if figuring out if Derek was lying. He wondered, if Jackson had learnt to detect lies through someone heartbeat. Derek hoped he hadn't, it could be something him and Derek could do together if he chooses to come home with them.

"Okay," Jackson said, nodding.

Derek forgot how much paperwork comes with adopting a child. With it having been almost 2 years since he adopted Scott and Stiles, the whole process had gone out of balance. His hand was hurting by the last signature, after filling out form after form of personal information and what his home life was like - he made a tiny white lie in saying he only had two children, both adopted, because he'd learnt the hard way if he mentions having more than three children, the social workers turn up their noses and say they don't think it would be suitable.

"I think that should do it, Mr Hale," the women behind the desk said as she filed the papers into a neat stack and placing then inside a blue binder folder. "Here are your forms, they include Jacksons file and other information you may need. Please, Mr Hale, considering Jacksons history with other families, and his assigned anger issues, we advise that you sign Jackson up for some kind of therapy. This is going to be a serious transaction for him. Going into another family can be quite stressful."

Derek had been told, when he'd come in to sign the adoption forms, that Jackson had quite a impeccable history with his previous families who dumped him here because he was too much to handle. The thought of the small boy being mistreated because no one understood his differences had his wolf growling.

"I understand," Derek said. He knew bringing another member into the family was going to be difficult for everyone, Jackson especially. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I'm sure," she replied, smiling as if rehursed. "Jackson should be down shortly."

Derek nodded and made his way out of the office that reminded him of a hospital waiting room with all the white, bleak and posters about children awareness. He found Jackson sitting on the bottom step of the building staircase, a single suitcase at his feet. His was sitting with his elbows on his knees, cheeks cupped in his hands. When he saw Derek, there was a flash of excitement and relief in his expression, as if he wasn't quite sure Derek was actually going to adopt him and instead come out of the office saying he'd changed his mind. The relief was masked and Jackson went back to looking neutral.

Derek smiled at him, "time to go, kiddo,"

Jackson stood up quickly, grabbing his suitcase and making the door eagerly.

Outside, Derek put Jacksons trunk in the boot of his Camaro - he didn't bring the big family car today. He motioned for Jackson to climb into the passenger seat, and stood at the car door to make sure he got his seatbelt in alright before he made his way to the drivers side.

"Good luck, Mr Hale," the care worker called out, standing at the front door.

Derek nodded before he climbed in and roared the car to life. He smirked at the glance he made at Jackson, seeing the kids eyes wide at the sight of the Camaro dashboard and interior.

Derek smiled. "Like what you see?"

Jackson shrugged, the expression of astonishment vanished like a switch. 

The drive was mostly silent until Jackson decided to break it, and by then, Derek had began to work himself up with nerves.

"Is everyone at your home a werewolf?"

"No," Derek said. "Me, Boyd, Erica, Isaac and Scott are wolves. Stiles is the only human."

The only human at home was Stiles, who had said on various occasions that he doesn't want to be a werewolf and wants to stay human. Stiles had also told Derek on the down low that staying human was the only connection he had to his deceased parents, the only part of him that felt theirs. Derek hadn't pushed the matter and continued life as if his adopted son wasn't any different from the rest of his gracious children he'd blessed himself with.

Jackson nodded, but stayed silent for the rest of the journey. Derek didn't press him to talk, knowing it was too early to cox the child out of his shell, and instead opted for just listening to some music.

The moment he turned on the radio, Bastilles new album, Wild World, blasted out of the speakers.

"Dammit, Stiles," Derek cursed under his breath, frantically turning the volume down. The human member of his pack had made it known for his love of Bastille, and always insists on playing their songs in the car, no matter how many times the album has been replayed.

They arrived at the house soon enough. The newly built Hale mansion stood in all its glory, surrounded by the dense forest of the Hale territory. The new home hadn't been built on top of the last home, some part of Derek had seen that as walking on his perished family's grave, so instead, he opted for his new home being built a acre away from the last one, still leaving plenty of room for his pups to play and enjoy themselves all the while being safe inside the hunter-free territory.

"Is this it?" Jackson asked, voice void.

Derek would have been worried, but this stubborn and emotionless upfront wasn't new to him. Erica and Scott had done it too when they'd first come home, but soon warmed up and opened like a blossoming flower to the family.

Jackson would be the same. Hopefully.

"Yep," Derek said, undoing his seatbelt and resting his hand on the door handle. "Ready to go in?"

"Is everyone home?" 

"No," Derek shook his head. "They're all at Laura's, my sister. I didn't think it would be fair to bring you home to a full house."

Jackson nodded, but didn't give a verbal response as he climbed out of the car. Derek followed in suit, getting Jacksons bag before making his way to the house, the child walking a few paces in front of him.

"Its unlocked," he said, when Jackson waited at the front door.

Jacksons reaction to the inside of the house wasn't surprising. Derek had assumed he would have given the silent treatment, just as Isaac, Erica and Boyd had done. It was only Scott and Stiles who had leapt from room to room, shouting about how amazing the big house was. 

"What'd you think?" Derek asked. The silence was unnerving, none the less, but he kept telling himself that Jackson had every right to be nervous and quiet. It was a lot for a child to process.

Jackson shrugged silently, walking into the living room. The house was in no means small. It had a large lounge that lead straight into a kitchen diner. There was a library, Derek's office and a bathroom on the bottom floor. On the second floor, there was Stiles, Scott and Isaacs bedrooms, along with a bathroom and the den, which consisted of bean bags, cuddle chairs and a gaming system that would have millionaires gaping. The third floor had Erica's, Boyd's, Derek's and Jackson's bedrooms, along with another bathroom and a spare room that was currently filled with memories and things they salvaged from the ruins of his old burnt-down childhood home.

"Its huge," Jackson finally said. He was standing in the kitchen, looking at the modern interior design. The house was mostly wood, all pine furniture and warm colours, but the kitchen was exactly the opposite. It was white and black, modern and sharp to the eye. 

"Yeah," Derek smiled. "There's eight of us now, gotta fit us all somewhere, right?"

Jackson nodded, but once again didn't offer any verbal response.

"How about I show you around? Then I can show you your room,"

Jackson nodded and the pair moved. 

"I hope you don't mind, but your bedroom is going to be on the third floor. I like to have the younger ones closer to the ground, for comfort and safety," Derek said. He wasn't good at conversations, and words had never been his strong point. He felt like a awkward real-estate.

"How old is everyone?" Jackson asked as they entered the library. Derek noticed how the boys eyes didn't seem at all interested in what he saw, giving Derek the indication that books and reading wasn't something that was going to excite or entertain Jackson like it did his other children.

"Boyd is the oldest, he's 12. Erica is 10, Isaac is 9, Scott is 7 and Stiles is 6," Derek said. "You'll meet them all later, they'll be home before dinner."

Derek continued to show Jackson around the house, pointing to each door and naming the room. Derek usually didn't like closed doors, and he told Jackson that while everyones home, they usually keep all doors open, including bedrooms. Being wolves, closed doors did nothing to block out sound, so there was merely no point in closing them in the first place.

Once on the third floor, Derek showed Jackson into his own room.

It was basic at the moment, with plain cream walls and dark wooden floor boards. There was a wide window on the outside wall, beneath it a cushioned window seat like all the other bedrooms. Derek had bought him a new bed, chest of draws, wardrobe and a desk, all matching and neatly laid out against the walls. "You can decorate it how you want, move the furniture as you please," Derek said. "We can get carpet, if you don't want the wood. And you can put whatever you want on the walls. Posters, pictures, drawings. This is your room, so. . ."

He trailed off, waiting for Jackson, who was looking around the room with the same unreadable face, to answer.

"Okay," was all Jackson said.

"Okay, well, I'll be downstairs, probably in the kitchen preparing dinner," Derek said, slowly walking backwards out of the room. "The others will be home in about an hour or so."

Jackson didn't answer. Derek left him be.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson meets the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second part! Please tell me if you like this, if so, I will continue adding more ficlets to the series!:)

Derek has never been an amazing cook, but he sure knew how to make a well-cooked first meal for his newest child. After the fire, and before technically, Derek didn't feed himself. Before, he had his mother, his grandmother and even one of his aunts living in the house with him, so having a home cooked meal everyday was no struggle, nor was the need to learn to cook. When his family perished, food became a chore that Derek didn't have the energy to comply. It wasn't until he brought home his first adopted child, Isaac, that Derek realised he needed to learn how to cook after feeding himself and his cub chicken nuggets everyday for two weeks.

The meal Derek had prepared was in no ways fancy, just a fluffy shepards pie. It was almost done, the mash on top just needing to brown and crisp over, when the front door opened.

"Derek!" 

"We're home!"

Moments later, the sound of padding feet tapped against the floor boards and the sight of his youngest cub came running in.

Derek bent down in time for Stiles to leap straight into his arms, tucking into his chest like he always did. The two of them barely had a second before the other pups came barging in, leaping and jumping onto the pair and sending Derek tumbling to the floor. The kitchen filled with laughter and giggles as the pack laid on the floor, piled on each other in a mass of limbs.

Derek was vaguely aware of Laura entering the kitchen, chuckling at the sight on the floor. He breathed in the sweet scent of his cubs, the action calming his wolf.

"Derek!" Stiles popped his head up from where it was resting on his chest. His strands of brown hair were sticking up hazardly like an untamed mane. "Auntie Lau'a gave us ice cream!"

His son had yet to master the art of fully pronouncing his words. Although Stiles was incredibly smart for his age, the ADHD he'd been diagnosed with making his intellect no less intact and outstanding to a dot. The small boy was better at reading than Scott, Isaac and even Erica. Derek often found Stiles and Boyd reading in the library, the 12 year old and the 6 year old reading at the same level.

None the less, Derek was forever proud and being surprised by his youngest achievements - and his other children's too.

"Oh, did she?" Derek laughed. He looked up slightly, craning his neck to glare at his sister. "Well," he looked back at his children. "Dinner is almost ready, so how about you go put your bags in your rooms and then come down and sit at the table? Okay?"

They all nodded, scrambling up as the ran out of the kitchen, disappearing through the door one by one. The sound of feet pounding against the wooden floorboards once again filled the house when Derek turned to his sister.

Laura looked at his expectantly, quickly becoming irritated by her brothers silence. 

"Well?" Laura pressed.

Derek tried to hide the smile tugging at his lips. "His name is Jackson, and—"

He didn't get another word out. Laura instantly pounced on him, letting out a string of questions about the new child. Derek couldn't fit in a answer as moments later, his group of cubs came running back into the kitchen and swarmed the table.

"I'll tell you everything with the rest of them," Derek said, voice low and hush, to make sure none of the other wolves could hear him. 

Derek didn't know how he should introduce Jackson. Every other time he's brought home a child, they've been already in the kitchen with Derek when the other cubs got home. But Jackson wasn't. He was, as Derek assumed, in his bedroom still.

"Okay," Derek began, but he was unsure if he was talking to himself or the cubs. None the less, only Stiles and Boyd actually looked at him after he spoke, as the others were ingrossed in a conversation between the group. 

Laura's hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to her. "Go and get him, I'll explain it to them before you come back down."

Derek nodded and left the room. 

Upstairs, Jackson was in fact in his bedroom. Derek knocked, thinking it was probably best to address privacy to Jackson before he plunged him into the warning that as a pack, closed doors is usually a sign that something is wrong, and also half the cubs haven't understood that you should knock before entering a closed door. 

"Yeah?" Jackson replied. The door stayed closed, and Derek refrained from opening it just yet. 

"Only me," Derek said. "Can I come in?"

A moment of silence followed. 

"Okay."

Opening the door, Derek found Jackson sitting on the bed, the suitcase was untouched at the end of his bed, still closed and no belongings unpacked. 

Derek didn't think too much into this and instead stood in the door way. 

"Dinners ready, and the others are home." Derek said, and Jackson replied with a short nod. He climbed off the bed, and began towards the door. 

Jackson was wearing a solid front as he walked a few paces ahead of Derek back downstairs to the main floor, and Derek wondered if he was at all nervous. He didn't have a chance to ask, or explain the dynamics of the pack meal before the entered the kitchen. 

The cluster and noise instantly stopped, every member of the room turning to look at the two who'd just entered, or more specifically, to Jackson. 

"Guys, this is Jackson," Derek said. "He's your new brother."

A silence followed. It was like the room was a freeze frame. No one moved. No one spoke. It was slightly worrying, but then Stiles suddenly grinned. 

"Hi!" He cheered, adding a small wave. "I'm Stiles!"

Derek smiled at the enthusiasm, but the expression dropped when he saw the blank face of Jackson. The boy didn't reply, simply moving around the table and taking the spare seat beside Boyd and opposite Isaac.  

Derek looked to Laura, who shrugged and took the seat at the end of the table, opposite Derek and in between Jackson and Isaac. 

Derek dished out the plates of sheppards pie, each topped with different portions of food. Derek sat down at the last vacant seat, at the head of the table, in between Erica and Stiles, who sometimes, though the young pup didn't like it, required help eating and using the cutlery. 

It was silent for a few minutes, and Derek hated it. Yet, he wasn't the first to break the silence. 

It was Laura. 

"I'm Laura," she introduced herself to Jackson. "I'm Derek's sister. You can call me auntie Laura, or just Laura. I don't mind."

Jackson nodded in response. 

Laura tilted her head at him slightly. "You don't talk much, do you?"

Jackson finished his mouthful before he shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about."

Laura tsked. "Of course there is! You've just joined the family, don't you want to get to know us?"

"What is this?" Jackson asked instead, motioning to the plate of pie. He'd taken a few bites, and Derek was suddenly worried that Jackson didn't like it. 

"Shepards pie," Stiles replied first. He bounced in his seat as he spoke. 

"It's the only proper meal Derek can cook," Boyd said, though the way he leaned into Jackson slightly, turning his head away from Derek and lowering his voice made Derek think Boyd didn't want him to hear. 

"Hey! I can cook plenty."

"Plenty of chicken nuggets and burgers," Boyd replied. He tuned to Jackson again. "I hope you like meat, it's basically all we eat."

Derek was about to speak again, to redeem his dignity, but then Jackson chuckled, actually smiling and taking another mouthful of pie. 

Nice one, Boyd. 

"Derek!" Stiles suddenly said, dropping his fork on his plate. 

Derek looked up in panic, but Stiles' face was bright and excited. 

"Guess what Miss Masey said today. Guess, guess!" Stiles banged his palms against the table and got on his knees, shifting up in his mist of excitement. 

"I don't know, what did she say?" Derek said, trying to hide his smile. 

"She said I was the best reader in the whole class!" Stiles cheered. 

Derek gaped in surprise, emphasising his expression. "Really?"

Stiles nodded vigorously and quickly, his face almost a blur.

"Well done!" Derek smiled, watching as Stiles beamed. 

"And," Stiles went on with equal enthusiasm, "Miss Masey said I could start taking in my own books! Does this mean I can start taking in my comics?"

Derek's smile softened. "You'll have to ask, because your comics aren't very hard to read, but I'm sure you'll be allowed to take them in, Stiles."

"You read comics?" Jackson asked, and Stiles seemed almost as shocked that Jackson spoke as Derek was.

Stiles grinned and straightened higher in his chair, practically towering over his plate. "Yes! I love them. Do you read them too?"

Derek's heart raced in his chest a little. His eyes flicked from Jackson to Stiles, nervous surrounding him. Tension was building the more Jackson stayed silent, and now everyone at the table was beginning to stop eating and notice it.

"Comics are stupid," was Jackson's reply.

Stiles' face fell. "No they're not!" He defended, and then he was grinning again. "I could show you mine and—"

"No," Jackson said, and he must have sensed the annoyance rolling off Laura after addressing the youngest pup so aggressively, because then he softly added, "thanks though, I just don't like comics."

Stiles smiled, sitting back. "That's okay. What do you like?"

"Lacrosse," Jackson replied, almsot hesitant.

"You like lacrosse?" Scott asked, exclaiming and sitting forward like Stiles had done. "Me too! So does Boyd and Isaac, we play at the local sports centre too, but Derek doesn't like us playing there much because we get too rough."

Derek saw the quirks of a smile playing on Jackson's lips. 

"Hey, Derek, can we play a game tonight?" Scott asked, brown puppy eyes beaming.

Derek smiled and nodded. "Only one game, though. You guys have school tomorrow."

The rest of dinner went uneventful, calm and sweet. The cleared the table of empty plates and leftover dinner before Derek gave everyone a rocket ice lolly, telling them to eat it at the table because they (Stiles) were usually messy at eating those.

After, when they had enough time to let their dinner go down and Stiles and Scott had finished the grand tour of the house - they hadn't had a new sibling yet and wanted to be the first to show Jackson around. Derek would have to thank Jackson on the down-low for not mentioning that he'd already been shown the house - they all headed outside for the boys to play a round of lacrosse. Jackson and Isaac were on a team against Scott and Boyd, the four playing fast and rough but not too rough, from what Derek could see.

Derek sat on the porch with Stiles, Erica and Laura. His youngest cub was reading  new book he'd picked out of Derek's bedroom collection, and though Derek didn't catch the title in Stiles' long ramble about the book, he's gathered by the small pages he can see that his six year old cub is reading Oliver Twist, while Erica and Laura are talking about what length Laura should get her hair cut too. 

Derek felt a sense of completeness. His pack was whole, filled and brilliant. His wolf was at ease, happy and snug. His family were perfect, Jackson was fitting in nicely and he had no worries.

They were a family, finally.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment if you want more of the adopted Hale family!:)
> 
> Love you all Xxx


End file.
